College or NFL?

[Bluedawg]

Interesting artilce in today's Dallas Morning News College or NFL? See you Saturday

he said he prefers colelge over NFL because:

It has at least something to do with the downside of fantasy football.

Also, there are no true upsets in the NFL. The first week of the season there wasn't even a 7-point favorite. Something magical happens somewhere in the college game each week.

[dukeENG2003]

I agree with his sentiment that there aren't any huge upsets in the NFL, but that, to me, is why the NFL is superior. Every game is competitive. I would always rather watch a close game between more evenly matched teams.

Sure, huge upsets are great, but blowouts (which is what happens most of the time when there is a big underdog) are boring. In addition, the bowl system is a joke. that alone makes the NFL FAR superior IMHO.

Factor in the superior athleticism of the NFL, and its really no contest.

Fantasy football has nothing to do with the games. Its big in the NFL, b/c it actually makes sense. In college, fantasy football (if it was played) would be far more about who the player is playing, rather than that players individual talent and thus would be far less interesting. NFL players have been asked on multiple occasions whether fantasy considerations figure into how they play, and the answer is overwhelmingly, no. Marc Bulger (my fantasy QB) has said on many occasions he could care less that he puts up good fantasy numbers, b/c they continue to lose games.

[DukeUsul]

Grew up in suburban Philly.... What's more interesting, a Villanova or Temple game or the Eagles and Cowgirls/Skins/Giants? I didn't know anything about college football until I went to Duke. I've gotten more into college ball since then (season ticket holder since graduation) but it's been hard to really get invested in the college game.

[captmojo]

College game. The rules are better.

[DukeUsul]

Hey Capt, which rules do you like better? A life-long NFL watcher, I still get confused when a guy makes a reception with one foot in and it counts. I've never liked that one.

[captmojo]

Hey Capt, which rules do you like better? A life-long NFL watcher, I still get confused when a guy makes a reception with one foot in and it counts. I've never liked that one.

I think when a guy is down, he's down. There's no need to pile on, it's only risking injury.

More importantly, I think the clock in the NFL should stop to move chains in case of a first down. I don't believe in penalizing players on the field, with a sense of urgency, with time lost because the stick men will never be able to move fast enough to please. This, I feel, is only a fairness issue.

Also, not important, but that two minute warning is just for the benefit of TV anyway. Not important because the strategy works around the extra time out.

Would you not see a lot more pass completions if the receiver only had to be "in-bounds" as opposed to "really in-bounds"?

[DukeUsul]

Would you not see a lot more pass completions if the receiver only had to be "in-bounds" as opposed to "really in-bounds"?

Yeah you would, but I'm not sure more pass completions is necessarily a good thing (this coming from a guy who grew up watching good 'ol NFC East 10-7 brawls). But I always thought of the one-foot in rule like calling a timeout while falling out of bounds in basketball. You can't run up the sideline with one foot in and one foot out, so it never made sense to me why coming down like that should count.

[Bluedawg]

I agree with his sentiment that there aren't any huge upsets in the NFL, but that, to me, is why the NFL is superior. Every game is competitive.

Actually it is jsut the opposite. If the favored team wins then it is not competative...the stong teams win and no one else need to show up.

[Bluedawg]

Grew up in suburban Philly.... What's more interesting, a Villanova or Temple game or the Eagles and Cowgirls/Skins/Giants? I didn't know anything about college football until I went to Duke. I've gotten more into college ball since then (season ticket holder since graduation) but it's been hard to really get invested in the college game.

I grew up in the SEC...college football trumps all!

[dukeENG2003]

Actually it is jsut the opposite. If the favored team wins then it is not competative...the stong teams win and no one else need to show up.

right, and in college, the favored team wins more than in the NFL, given the larger spreads and the larger spread in talent between teams. Sure, in the NFL, they aren't BIG upsets, but there are more upsets, as there are more competitive games between more evenly matched teams.

As far as rules go, +1 on the 1 foot in bounds rule being ridiculous, and I also prefer the replay rules in the NFL. Make a coach decide when to make the challenge, rather than reviewing every freaking play. I will agree with the stopping the clock on the 1st down rule, I kinda like that about college, but other than that, the rules are similar enough, that I base my preference on the better competition and superior atheletes.

[Lavabe]

How about choice c?

NEITHER!

Remember, I live in Atlanta, home of the hapless Falcons. No thank you, I cannot pull the lever for college or NFL.

But I will always pull for Duke!
Cheers,
Lavabe

P.S. I believe I hit my monthly quota for emoticons in just this one message. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMOTICONS!

[Uncle Drew]

I want to know why when the ball crosses the line of the end zone that is considered a touchdown. But when a guy is going for a first down and the ball breaks the line of scrimmage the refs put the ball where the players knee hit.

I like college overtime better than the pros, so much is contingent on the luck of a coin toss. But I still enjoy watching pro football MUCH more, and no it's not just because I'm a Duke fan.

[captmojo]

Another rule (although it's not really a rule) I'd like to see modern technology put into the game. Put an electronic chip in the ball to be a definite indicator of the ball crossing the plane of the goal line. Take the guesswork of flaking bodies off the pile and then deciding whether the ball broke the plane. This can be done.

[Lavabe]

Another rule (although it's not really a rule) I'd like to see modern technology put into the game. Put an electronic chip in the ball to be a definite indicator of the ball crossing the plane of the goal line. Take the guesswork of flaking bodies off the pile and then deciding whether the ball broke the plane. This can be done.

While they're at it, they could make it so the chip in the football would leave on the TV screen a red trail behind the football everytime it was thrown. It would be cool to see that! And they could add sound effects too!

WHOOPS ... Fox tried that in the NHL a few years ago!

NAH ... just leave the ball the way it is.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[Bluedawg]

I want to know why when the ball crosses the line of the end zone that is considered a touchdown. But when a guy is going for a first down and the ball breaks the line of scrimmage the refs put the ball where the players knee hit.

I like college overtime better than the pros, so much is contingent on the luck of a coin toss. But I still enjoy watching pro football MUCH more, and no it's not just because I'm a Duke fan.

I've almost gotten to look at the NFL the same was as the NBA. i can't watch NBA play bcasue its just so dull, and the NFL is gettign there. No one could have watched the GA/Bama game tonight and said the NFL was better.

If NASCAR is on at the same time as the NFL I'll watch NASCAR.

[feldspar]

College football...meh.

Give me the NFL, where every team actually has a shot at a title when the season begins.

Contrast that with college football, where the money-hungry conferences rule all while successful "lower-tier" teams like Boise State, Utah, Tulsa, etc. have to settle for a meaningless "bowl" win after an undefeated system. Feh. It amazes me how gullible college fans still are, falling for the whole "bowl" and "BCS" systems.

[crote]

Far and away college.

College offenses are vastly more varied and interesting. The spread option stuff that Florida, WVU, and Oregon run is tons of fun to watch, but you'd never see it consistently in the NFL because of the risk to the QB. Even the gimmicky stuff like what Texas Tech, Hawaii, and Navy run is usually a lot more fun to watch the same boring pro set stuff the NFL does all the time.

Also:

Fight songs.

The Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl, Commander in Chief's Trophy, The Game, the Big Game, the Red River Shootout, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the Battle for the Boot, Bedlam, Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, Floyd of Rosedale, etc.

Cheerleaders who don't look like they charge by the half hour.

Live animal mascots.

Stadiums that get ungodly loud.

Crowd shots of coeds.

EDSBS.com.

The dulcet tones of Mr. Keith Jackson.

The fact that in many places the mental well being of entire states hinges upon on the field success.

Steve Spurrier.

Top 25 Polls.

Rolling Toomer's Corner, touching Howard's Rock, the Rambling Wreck, "Play Like a Champion Today," the Vol Navy, etc.

Marching bands.

"Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer," "Hotty Toddy Gosh Almighty," "Woooooooooooo Pig Sooie," "Go to Hell Carolina," the Seminole War Chant, etc.

Tearing down goal posts.

[feldspar]

The Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl, Commander in Chief's Trophy, The Game, the Big Game, the Red River Shootout, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the Battle for the Boot, Bedlam, Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, Floyd of Rosedale, etc.

See, this is what I'm talking about. These are all just designed to keep you, the college fan, distracted from the fact that, depending on the year or the school you root for, your favorite team probably has absolutely ZERO chance of winning the National Championship this year.

So instead, they have meaningless (but cleverly named and marketed) "special" games called "Bowl Games" and "Rivalry Games" with cute trophies and clever nicknames and dueling mascots and bells and axes and all sorts of meaningless props...all designed to distract you from the fact that YOUR TEAM HAS NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS.

Golly, how exciting is that??

Kind of reminds me of youth sports these days where every team, no matter of how good or crappy they did that year, gets the same meaningless trophy.

"Bowl Season" is a joke.

Nah. Give me the NFL, complete with the biggest sporting even of the year, the SUPER Bowl, where a real champion is crowned.

[Bluedawg]

Far and away college.

College offenses are vastly more varied and interesting. The spread option stuff that Florida, WVU, and Oregon run is tons of fun to watch, but you'd never see it consistently in the NFL because of the risk to the QB. Even the gimmicky stuff like what Texas Tech, Hawaii, and Navy run is usually a lot more fun to watch the same boring pro set stuff the NFL does all the time.

Also:

Fight songs.

The Iron Bowl, the Egg Bowl, Commander in Chief's Trophy, The Game, the Big Game, the Red River Shootout, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the Battle for the Boot, Bedlam, Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, Floyd of Rosedale, etc.

Cheerleaders who don't look like they charge by the half hour.

Live animal mascots.

Stadiums that get ungodly loud.

Crowd shots of coeds.

EDSBS.com.

The dulcet tones of Mr. Keith Jackson.

The fact that in many places the mental well being of entire states hinges upon on the field success.

Steve Spurrier.

Top 25 Polls.

Rolling Toomer's Corner, touching Howard's Rock, the Rambling Wreck, "Play Like a Champion Today," the Vol Navy, etc.

Marching bands.

"Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer," "Hotty Toddy Gosh Almighty," "Woooooooooooo Pig Sooie," "Go to Hell Carolina," the Seminole War Chant, etc.

Tearing down goal posts.

Like i said...the NFL is dull!

[crote]

See, this is what I'm talking about. These are all just designed to keep you, the college fan, distracted from the fact that, depending on the year or the school you root for, your favorite team probably has absolutely ZERO chance of winning the National Championship this year.

So instead, they have meaningless (but cleverly named and marketed) "special" games called "Bowl Games" and "Rivalry Games" with cute trophies and clever nicknames and dueling mascots and bells and axes and all sorts of meaningless props...all designed to distract you from the fact that YOUR TEAM HAS NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS.

Golly, how exciting is that??

Kind of reminds me of youth sports these days where every team, no matter of how good or crappy they did that year, gets the same meaningless trophy.

"Bowl Season" is a joke.

Nah. Give me the NFL, complete with the biggest sporting even of the year, the SUPER Bowl, where a real champion is crowned.

What? Are you serious? How can a Duke fan not understand the unbridled greatness of college rivalries?

Anyway, by your logic sports are only worthwhile or entertaining if your team wins a title. If that's really how you feel, God save you.